Sweet Chili Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Asian-style ingredients like sweet Thai chili sauce, sesame oil, cilantro and scallions add flavor and originality to this light and easy main-dish salad. Served at room temperature, the dish is a sweet and savory combination of boneless chicken, fresh pineapple and quinoa that's easy to prepare and a great choice for a light weeknight meal.

For the dressing:

Instructions

Using a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa thoroughly and place it in a saucepan. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer the quinoa, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the soy sauce and sesame oil and fluff with a fork.

To make the dressing, whisk the orange juice, rice vinegar, sweet Thai chili sauce and garlic together in a small bowl. Add to the quinoa, combine thoroughly and set aside to cool.

Trim any white tendons from the chicken tenderloins and season them on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side.

Place the tenderloins on a cutting board, let them rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, add the pineapple and sweet Thai chili sauce and combine thoroughly.

To finish the salad, add the cilantro and scallions to the quinoa, combine well and divide the mixture between 4 serving plates. Top each with a portion of chicken and pineapple, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

How To Cook

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